Inpatient rehabilitation
Rebuild your abilities with inpatient rehabilitation — therapy that happens during a stay of at least one night at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
Initial recovery after surgery
You’ll receive inpatient rehabilitation after certain types of major surgery, especially orthopedic procedures, like joint replacement or hip fracture repair. A physical therapist will come to your hospital room to help you safely start moving again, usually within the first day of surgery. This type of inpatient rehabilitation happens for up to a few days. Depending on your condition, you may also receive occupational therapy, speech therapy, or wound care.
More-intensive inpatient rehabilitation
In some cases, your doctor may recommend you stay in our William R. Lewis, MD, Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (IRU) — a special area of the hospital reserved just for rehabilitation from serious illnesses or injuries. Here, adults get three hours of therapy five days a week for about two weeks. This care can help you live and move more independently after experiencing:
- Amputation
- Arthritis
- Brain injury
- Broken hip or femur
- Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), or other neurological disorders
- Spinal cord injury
- Stroke
- Traumatic injury
Accredited for top-quality care
Expect outstanding care from specialists in the IRU. Community Hospital’s program is accredited by CARF International for its high-quality, personalized services. We’re the only facility in Monterey County with CARF accreditation for stroke and brain injury rehabilitation. See how our patients do better on several outcome measures after a stay in the IRU when compared to regional and national averages.
You may have heard of the quality of our care from your neighbors, relatives, and friends not only in Monterey County, but in San Francisco and surrounding communities. That’s because the IRU offers specialized services and expert providers that stand out in California, and we accept referrals from regional physicians, medical centers, skilled nursing organizations, and other facilities.
Admission criteria
To qualify for admission to the IRU, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be able and willing to do three hours of therapy five days a week
- Need at least two of these types of rehabilitation:
- Have potential to improve function or achieve independence
- Need 24 hours of nursing care each day
- Be medically stable (not have worsening health conditions)
What to expect
When you first arrive at the IRU, nurses will welcome you and explain what to look forward to in the coming weeks. Within 24 hours, our medical director will see you to help determine what services you need. Therapists will assess your abilities and ask what you’d like to be able to accomplish — whether it’s doing a daily task by yourself, attending a special event, or something else. Count on us to help you set and achieve meaningful goals, stay motivated, and focus on opportunities, not roadblocks.
You’ll find support and friendship from people who know what it’s like to take part in rehabilitation — your fellow patients. Enjoy eating together in the IRU’s dining room and forming strong bonds that can last after you leave the hospital.
Comprehensive care for your recovery
Expect well-rounded support from many types of experts who work to:
- Restore your abilities through exercises, guided training, and, if needed, use of supportive or assistive devices
- Relieve pain and symptoms
- Help you eat a healthy diet and breathe properly to support your recovery
Learn about all the services your compassionate rehabilitation team provides.
Insurance coverage
You may receive financial coverage of IRU care through:
- Commercial insurance plans (such as Anthem Blue Cross)
- Medicare and Medi-Cal (Alliance)
- Tricare (military health insurance)
- Workers compensation (if your injury happened at work)
Read about all the insurance plans we accept.
Before you’re admitted to the IRU, our clinical liaison will work with your insurance provider to get preauthorization, if needed. You and your family will learn what part of the cost of rehabilitation you must pay.
If you don’t have insurance coverage, ask about Community Hospital’s financial assistance program and free or discounted services.
Leaving the IRU
We start planning for your safe return home as soon as you arrive in the IRU. With help from you and your family, we’ll determine what abilities you must achieve to go back into the community and start outpatient rehabilitation, in which you live at home and visit a clinic for therapy appointments. Take comfort in knowing more than 80 percent of our patients go home instead of to a nursing facility. That’s more than the regional and national averages.
If you would benefit from short-term skilled nursing after leaving the IRU, your care team may recommend our Westland House, which earned top quality marks from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Learn about all the area’s options for continuing care.
Annual IRU reunion
Look forward to our next yearly event that brings IRU patients and families and our care team together to share their stories and progress.
